The russian military is facing a mental health crisis. In December 2022, russian psychologists identified approximately 100,000 military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This number is almost certainly now higher as the russian military fails to provide sufficient rotation and recuperation from the battlefield, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
This was a problem highlighted by multiple commanders, including the former 58th Combined Arms Army’s General-Major Ivan Popov who was relieved of command in July 2023.
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There are additional indications that doctors in russia are sending military personnel who are unfit to fight to the front. Appeal claims against russian military medical commissions are higher in 2023 than they were in 2022, with many cases denied or claims abandoned.
With a lack of care for its soldiers’ mental health and fitness to fight, russia’s combat fighting effectiveness continues to operate at sub-optimal levels.
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